"As the Singing Postman, Allan Smethurst benefited from the British public’s endearing sympathy for the underdog. His most popular hit, Hev Yew Gotta Loight, Boy?, momentarily outsold the Beatles — in East Anglia, at least — and for a few weeks became a national catchphrase. But like many novelty stars before and since, his 15 minutes of fame was little more than that, and after four albums he faded from the public consciousness ending his days as an alcoholic in the care of the Salvation Army.
Smethurst, a postman from Norfolk who hummed his tunes on his daily round, bought his guitar from Woolworths in 1949 and started writing and playing his own dialect songs, initially confining his activities to his bedroom. “It was ten years afore I dare let people hear them,” he once admitted. Plucking up the courage to send a tape to the BBC in Norwich, he was given a spot on a local radio show compered by a sales promotion man, Ralph Tuck, who promptly founded a record label called The Smallest Recording Organisation in the World to promote the Singing Postman. The 100 discs which Tuck had cut in the early weeks of 1966 promptly sold out and Smethurst became an overnight star, ousting the Beatles from the top of the East Anglian hit parade."
It was sadly downhill from then on. He took up drink to try and cure his crippling stage fright but obviously he was destined to be a "one hit wonder" and the music biz moved on to the next novelty act.
Discover more about The Singing Postman HERE.
The Singing Postman - My Boy John
The Singing Postman - The Foxhunt
The Singing Postman - Norfolk Poacher
The Singing Postman - 45 String Guitar
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4 comments:
History is going to look back on the 1960's as the golden age of pop music. It was the era of the best and decidedly the worst of all things musical. The record companies were caught on the back foot in those changing times and didn't have a clue as to what was what and, as a consequence, seemed to sign up and record almost anything that arrived on their doorstep.
Once they found their feet again and learned to be the successful organisations they became then all of the weird, the strange and the novelty items would come to be regarded as nothing more than commercial suicide.
Those quirky 60's oddities are a unique snapshot of an era that, for a brief moment, shone brightly and then faded into oblivion. We should rightly treasure them because they are a cultural phenomena that we will never see the likes of again.
I couldn't agree more spice. If old Allen Smethurst turned up on the X Factor or similar today he would be laughed off the stage and so he gets my vote every time! Decca actually turned down the Beatles ofcourse which still amazes us all today saying that "Guitar bands were a thing of the past"!
it seems and sounds nice... but could you please re-up these albums? it would be very great!
thanks
Thanks for the comment Tortoise- will try and find it.
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